Silent and Sure
by Red White Rose
Summary: Miharu Hirano didn't know how she ended up falling from the sky of what it seemed like another world. She feels strange and unaccustomed to this new environment, but someone was there to remedy her lonliness. SteveMiharu
1. Chap 1

Disclaimer: Me no own Tekken.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The sixth official King of Iron Fist Tournament had ended months ago.

Miharu Hirano sat on a bench overlooking the glittering water by her lake view house. She loved the calm exterior of the water. How it changed colors and sparkles during sunrises and sunsets. It made her feel peaceful, like all her troubles and burdens are swept away by the magnificent view.

The twenty-five-year-old woman pondered about her last match against Hwoarang Doo San, whom she could not beat. His moves were fast but at the same time powerful. She knew he trained his butt off to win against his rival Jin Kazama, who's just as strong. Miharu also knew that she gave her best. The redhead apologized for her loss and even treated her lunch. It was a pleasant bond between the two friends. They chatted happily, talked about various things, and shared jokes. She thanked him for his thoughtfulness and wished him luck on his remaining matches.

"You better come and cheer for me, little sister!"

The last two words caught her by surprise. Well, it wasn't that big of a shock since Miharu, too, thought of Hwoarang as a protective brother. She cared about him and he cared about her. She even sensed his hesitation during their combat. But he knew as well as her that they have promised each other to battle like two proud fighters, and not let their friendship get in the way too much.

"I sure will big brother!" Miharu recalled his smile when he heard her words. His face showed earnestness and truthfulness and she couldn't help but feel at ease inside.

When Hwoarang's next match came she was one of the earliest ones to arrive. She was anxious and hoped he would win. Then there he was, clad in his Tae-Kwan-Do uniform with the Korean emblem on his back. Julia sat next to Miharu to cheer for her boyfriend. The Native American woman had met Hwoarang since the third Iron Fist and had a secret crush on him for quite some time. Given that both Julia and Hwoarang are Miharu's friends they each came to her for counseling, sharing their secrets with her because they have a deep conviction in the Japanese woman. Miharu giggled remembering how the two of them owned up all their inner feeling for their crush and asked her how she felt about their beliefs. She also played the 'messenger' between Hwoarang and Julia. They would ask her how their respective crush thought of his or her looks. Sometimes they would also ask if their crush would bring up anything about one another when one of them was with Miharu.

For instance, Julia would ask: "Miharu, do you know if Hwoarang likes me with my glasses on or not?"

Or, after Miharu and Julia spent hours shopping at the mall, Hwoarang would call Miharu when she returned home asking: "Hey, Mi. You seen Julia today right? Has she made any comments about me?"

This went on for weeks until Miharu couldn't take it any longer and asked Xiaoyu and Jin to help her set the two up so they could, at last, confront each other and confess.

Thank God, for it had succeeded.

That was what happened during tournament time in Japan and it might be the last one Miharu and her close friends would ever go to. Texas was their home now.

Miharu felt the wind sweep over her face and hair. Her auburn locks shined like silk under the setting sun as she breathed in the soothing breeze. Her friends' wedding would be on Valentines Day. A month from today Hwoarang and Julia will officially become husband and wife. The memory of Julia's call telling her of Hwoarang's proposal will forever etch in her mind. The brown-haired woman was ecstatic. Her voice woke up the whole district while she made this 'phenomenal' announcement. Miharu, Xiaoyu, including Christie, got a chance to take a closer look at the gem-decorated diamond ring on Julia's right ring finger when the four friends met at a teahouse near Julia's home.

"Girl, quite a man you're marrying here!" Christie said, holding Julia's right hand in her own, gawking at the beautiful ring.

Xiaoyu scoffed. "Dang…I wish my Jinny will give me one just like it."

"He will, Xiao. You just have to be patient." Miharu patted her friend on the shoulder who's making a face while sipping her tapioca.

Christie finally gave Julia her hand back. "Yeah. That man's, like, always busy."

"Well, what'd you expect?" Julia said, stirring her decaf, "He's one of the top business managers in Houston after all."

"What about your fiancé, Jules?" Xiaoyu asked, picking up her big cup of half-finished tapioca, gulped some more down, and placed it back on the table. "Hwoarang is quite big with his industrial designing commerce too."

Julia sighed dreamily. "Yes, his job is to design motorcycles, automobiles, and bringing them to life by building all the parts together to make a masterpiece."

"Yes, I think I saw him once riding on his own 'Hwoarangmobile' to one of the Iron Fist matches." Miharu piped in. "I've never seen such an awesome bike!"

"Christie!" Xiaoyu grabbed the Brazilian's arm with a swift motion. "Tell us about Eddy!"

Christie cringed under her friend's firm grip. "Well, he's doing fine with his own work. Being a healthcare expert and fitness trainer's not easy--ack! Xiao, could you PLEASE let go of my arm?"

The Chinese woman finally acknowledged what she's doing to her friend, and let go straight away. "Oh! Chris, I'm so, so sorry!"

The other ladies tried not to cackle at Xiaoyu's peppiness.

"What about you, Mi? How's your—oh…" Julia hastily put a hand to cover her mouth. "I…I'm sorry, Mi."

To her relief, Miharu's face showed no antagonism whatsoever. "No need to apologize, Julies. Maybe my time is not as early as you guys."

"But Mi," Xiaoyu hugged her companion and with great concern in her voice, said, "Don't you feel lonely? Maybe we need to hook you up with someone."

Christie raised her hand at once. "I'll help you, Mi! I know many cute single guys from my modeling agency!"

Julia joined in. "I know some guys that you might like too!"

"See?" Xiaoyu smiled at Miharu. "We're all here to support you every step of the way!"

"Thank you guys so much. But…"

"But what?" Julia asked.

"I still think I should wait."

"Oh, c'mon girl! I can't just stand aside when you have no man to be there for you for the rest of your life!" Christie took a hold of Miharu's hand before the girl could complain and dragged her out of the teahouse. "We are starting right now, whether you like it or not!"

And so, mission 'Matchmaker' started. There were over fifteen men introduced to Miharu by the ladies. Their boyfriends (and a fiancé) helped out also. Hwoarang brought his buddies from work, Jin called forth some of his business associates, and a few chaps turned up at Miharu's doorsteps saying they're friends of Eddy.

Miharu couldn't remember who all of them were. Well, how many COULD the Japanese lady remember when a bunch of them were pouring down at her? It was truly a 'rainy men' season. To her astonishment, many were very fond of her. But above all, none of them fit her perfectly. She felt something was missing among them. The men couldn't be 'the one' for her, even though all of them treated her nicely. And for this reason Miharu felt incredibly guilty as she rejected each one as painlessly as she could.

And today, Miharu thought, wouldn't be much different. She stood from the bench and strode back to her house to prepare for her date with a man named Preston. This one was introduced by Christie. She told Miharu that he's really gorgeous and pleasant. The Brazilian woman handed Miharu a slip of paper telling her where Preston will be waiting for her and what time.

Miharu wanted to refuse Christie's offer but her friend left before she could protest. And so the Japanese woman picked out a simple dark-colored dress, diamond stud earrings, and light makeup. She observed her reflection, felt satisfied, and left her house. She got in her Civic and drove off toward her destination. Tonight she's going to reject Preston for sure. At least she thought it would be an easy task like the rest of the dates.

When she arrived at a fancy restaurant she saw him waiting at the doorway. According to Christie's description and a picture off of a magazine cover, Miharu was pretty sure that he was Preston himself. She decided to study him for a while. Well, he seemed pretty genuine and had an innocent expression plastered on his face. He had a strong jaw, good-sized nose bridge, and was well-built. Well, why wouldn't he be? He IS a model after all. Okay, he had the looks, but what about his heart? Is he truly a man who would respect a woman for who she is? Miharu started to get self conscious as she stepped up to him.

"Hi." She greeted while trying not to sound nervous.

He smiled at her and she thought he had a wonderful smile. "I'm guessing you're Ms. Hirano?"

"Oh please," She giggled. "You don't have to address me so formally. Miharu will be fine."

"Miharu it is then." He then handed her a rose. She accepted it politely and he offered his hand which she also took graciously. They walked into the restaurant and sat down at a table looking out the window looking out into the darkening city.

Throughout the date the two talked about various things. Preston spoke about his job and his hobbies. Miharu also shared some of her own stories about her life. They even laughed together. Miharu thought of Preston, before she met him, to be a guy that is forceful on women but he took things really slowly, saying that if he were to be Miharu's husband he would obey her request to wait until she is ready for sex and family.

"You are a beautiful woman and I do not wish to hurt you in any way." He said to her. "You have my word on it."

She smiled warmly towards him and placed her hand on his. "You know…you're one of a kind. I think you're very special."

The two clasped hands while they enjoyed the evening view and each other's presence. Having thought of Preston as a unique man, Miharu's mind wondered off thinking about what would happen in the future if she and Preston ended up together. It wouldn't be too bad would it? He seemed sincere but first impressions aren't always accurate. Even though she learned a bit about Preston this evening, she decided to know him even more. Besides, she couldn't ignore the warm feeling in her chest when she was with Preston can she? She will tell her friends that she will stick with this man for a while and see what kind of outcome will ensue.

"I'm glad to have met you." She heard him say. "Maybe we should do this more often."

Exactly what I was thinking, Miharu thought. "Sure…that would be great."

"How about next Friday? We could go wherever you want to go."

"Okay." She beamed.

"Well, it's getting late. We wouldn't want to be tardy for work tomorrow."

The two of them paid for their share of the dinner. He hooked his arm around hers as they walked out of the restaurant. She felt comfortable when she leaned on his arm. She had to stop doing it when they arrived at her Honda, however.

"Well, I'll see you later then?" He said.

"Yeah." Preston got startled a bit when she gasped suddenly. "Oh! I need to give you my cell phone number."

He laughed. "Oops, guess you need mine too."

After they exchanged papers Preston kissed Miharu gently on the cheek. "Sleep well tonight okay?"

She couldn't help but go red. He smiled one last time before departing to his own car. She watched him go as she placed a hand on the spot where his lips last touched.

Maybe…just maybe…Preston wouldn't be a bad choice after all.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I have to meet this guy." Hwoarang declared.

It was Sunday, and Miharu just told her best friends about the night out with Preston. They were sitting at a round table in a Dim Sum restaurant, proudly owned by their close associate from the Iron Fists: Marshall Law.

Jin shrugged. "He doesn't seem too bad."

"Still, you can't judge a book by its cover. Besides, as Mi's older brother, it's my duty to make sure Preston treat her with the respect she deserves."

"But you're not her real broth-" Jin started.

"Watch it man, I treat Mi as my little sister and she look up to me as an older brother. That's how it is, so live with it." Hwoarang crossed his arms making his statement final.

Christie hit the Korean's arm forcefully. "Oof!"

"Mi's a big girl! She can take care of herself!"

"Hey! Anything can happen!"

Julia leaned against Miharu's ears. "Hwoa can be so sweet when he wants to be." She whispered.

"Definitely." Miharu nodded.

"He sent me flowers yesterday." Julia said in a much quieter voice.

"Really? That's so sweet!"

"Yup! And it delivered straight to Jules' office!" Xiaoyu's loud and perky voice got the other's attention.

"You know what they're talking about?" Eddy asked.

"Something about flowers." Jin said.

"Oh, it must be about the roses I sent Jules yesterday." Hwoarang took hold of his fiancé's hand. "How'd you like them, babe?"

Julia's smile was like heaven on Earth to the Korean. "They were beautiful."

The two shared a passionate kiss.

"Get a room!" Christie yelled after a moment.

The others laughed at the pair, but felt contented for them.

Ling, for once, was quiet while watching Hwoarang and Julia. She glanced sideways at Jin, who eventually sensed her gaze and locked eyes with her. He gave her a weak smile but she could still see it. She knows he's not the type to show much emotion. But somehow he's more open to her than the others. Xiaoyu wished she could be just like her two friends. Happily engaged…with Jin.

"Xiao? You alright?" The voice of her love took her back to reality.

"Yeah." She managed a grin.

"Are you sure?" Jin asked, his voice full of concern.

He welcomed her in his strong arms with her head resting on his chest, rocking her gently.

Xiaoyu sighed. "I am now…"

"Dang…another one?" Christie said.

Hwoarang pointed at the other couple. "See? They're doing it too. You can't blame us for showing affection toward the one we love."

Christie sighed. "Just don't turn this meeting into a make-out session. We are here for Mi, to help her find a true love and you four are just making her feel bad."

"Shit!" Hwoarang immediately turned toward Miharu. "I am so sorry!"

The other three also felt guilty and followed Hwoarang saying their own apologies.

To tell the truth, that kiss of affection did affect Miharu in some way she couldn't put into words. She trusts Hwoarang and Julia. She believed they didn't smooch right in front of her on purpose. The only reason they did that was out of pure love. Nothing else.

Sometimes a woman couldn't wait to love a man, and that man returning the same amount of care, according to many females, is something very extraordinary. Her best friends all found their true companions for life...except her.

Maybe that was why she felt strange looking at Hwoarang and Julia. Maybe that was why she felt desire to be with Preston, to show others she have someone she loves too. Or is it envy?

"Mi?" Julia said, shaking Miharu's arm.

"Huh?" She looked up and noticed the others looking at her. "Oh, I was…um…just thinking about…stuff…" Well, that was lame, she thought.

"Look, we're really sorry. We should've paid attention to you." Jin said.

Miharu smiled, to her friends' relief. "It's okay."

Xiaoyu embraced her best pal. "Thanks. You're the best!"

"No problem."

The head chef walked over to their table.

"Are you all ready to order now?" Marshall asked, taking out a notepad.

"Yes, we would all like your lunch special." Eddy said.

"Okay." Marshall took out a slip of paper with the list of all the dishes with stamp boxes beside each name. "The carts will be coming around in a few minutes. They're still working on the sesame balls."

Hwoarang rubbed his hands together. "Ooo…I love sesame balls."

Miharu giggled at the Korean's silly expression. He saw that and grinned right back at her.

Law smiled. "Wonderful! You shall enjoy them after you eat your vegetables."

The redhead pouted at the mention of healthy foods. The others laughed at his stubbornness for hating greens.

"You're not my father!"

"Baek said you need to choose the right things to eat. A meal with only sesame balls is not considered a good meal!"

"It is to me!"

"Julia, would you be kind enough to watch over this punk and make sure he eats his veggies?" Law asked.

"Sure!"

Hwoarang's jaws dropped on the table as Marshall walked away. The others laughed harder.

"Sorry Hwoarang!" Jin said.

"It's for your own good!" Eddy was holding his stomach by now.

The Korean glared at the two men. He faced toward the ladies since they stopped snickering.

"So, Mi, when can I meet this Preston guy?" He asked. Eddy and Jin finally controlled themselves.

"Um…I don't know. His schedule changes every now and then. You'll have to ask Christie."

"Hmm…" Christie pondered. "I think he has Tuesday afternoon off."

"Well, that's when I'll see him." Hwoarang took out his palm pilot and wrote that in.

"Hey, why don't we all meet him?" Jin asked.

"You know what, that's not a bad idea." Eddy said.

"A quadruple date? Is that what you're implying?" Hwoarang asked.

"That'll be cool! And we all have Sunday off!" Xiaoyu said.

Hwoarang nodded. "Not bad." He erased his note and wrote a new one for next Sunday.

"What do you think, Mi?" Julia asked.

Miharu nodded and smiled. "I think it's great."

A young waiter arrived at their table with the first cart. "Hello, what can I get you?"

"Lunchtime!" Xiaoyu and Hwoarang yelled in unison. The two jumped from their seats and started picking out things from the cart. The poor lad had to keep up with their order.

"I thought you only liked sesame balls!" Xiaoyu shouted.

"I like other dim sum too!"

Once again, the table sounded with laughter.

Miharu, too caught up at the situation, did not notice the tiny static on her leg.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Wow. That was bad. Forgive me if you all thought this is such a piece of s. I'm also sorry for not updating fast enough. I changed the plot a bit and made the story pace slower. I rushed on the first version of this chapter.

I want to thank all those who took the time to read this, especially Karisan-Karisan and Ignes Fatui.

To Karisan-Karisan: Thank you again so much. Hope this cheered you up.


	2. Chap 2

Hey out there. Sorry for such a long, long, long, long, long, long wait. There was school stuff, then graduation, then the transition from high school to college, and writer's block. I want to thank Karisan-Karisan for all her support. Hope you'll like this, Cari. There's some Preston/Miharu moments but bear with it for one or two more chaps please! Stevie will come in soon I promise!

For those who read the first chapter, please read it again because I've changed a few things on this update.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"What? A quadruple date?"

"Doesn't it sound interesting? You get to meet all my close friends. Well, with the exception of Christie of course."

"Sure do. Um…you said Sunday?"

"Yeah."

"Where are we going?"

"I believe a pub. You know Baker St.?"

"Yeah, been there with a few of my friends." Preston paused. "How old are the other guys?"

"All the other males are a bit older than you."

Preston made a face. "Is that so?"

"Don't get discouraged. Hwoarang and Jin are both twenty-eight—a year older, and Eddy is thirty-six."

"That means Christie married someone ten years older than her!"

"But they both love each other, so…"

"Yeah, you're right. As long as they're okay with it, it won't be a big deal."

"You've met their daughter right?"

"No, I haven't."

"Huh." Miharu grabbed her purse, dug into it, and pulled out a small photo. "Here."

Preston placed the tea cup he was drinking from down on the table and took the picture. Miharu watched him smile as he looked at it. "She's adorable." He said.

"I know. Isn't she cute?"

"I heard she's…what, four years old?"

"Yeah. Chris was a bit young to have a child but…it's alright I guess…" Preston gave the photo back to Miharu and she placed it back into her wallet. "…I wonder what it's like to be a mother…"

Preston paused when he heard those words. He looked at her wondering face and tried to pretend he had the power of a mind reader. So far he had no luck. He knew his girlfriend wasn't completely ready for children but he was thinking of an engagement a few weeks from now. Maybe it will be shortened down to just days. This was only their second date but he felt Miharu was the perfect woman for him. Her beautiful long auburn hair, her skin soft and smooth to the touch, her honey eyes, and her wonderful figure, all of these features she possesses he loved. Before he knew it he was staring at her lips, for it was one of the things he haven't experienced.

"Preston? Are you alright?"

After snapping back to reality he looked at her with a dumbfound expression. "Huh? Yes?"

"You were staring at me weirdly…was there something wrong with my face?"

He shook his head slowly, still flabbergasted. "N-no. Nothing was wrong. It's just that…you're really beautiful."

Miharu's cheeks reddened. "Oh…thank you…I guess…" She looked down to avoid his stare.

She then felt his hands take hold of hers.

"Come here." He said, pulling her closer.

Now it was her turn to be rendered speechless. He could lean toward her easily from the smallness of their round coffee table. Preston's eyes were half-closed as were hers. Before she could even respond their lips had already met in a sweet kiss. Preston hoped she would get what he was trying to tell her through his act. Men are less talkative when it comes to love, unlike women. They are action-driven. What they do is more important than what they say. At least that was what Miharu read in a book she borrowed from Xiaoyu: _Over 100 Things Women Should Know about Men_. Julia and Christie even fought the Chinese woman for it sometimes whenever they thought Hwoarang or Eddy was acting bizarre.

A minute passed and they parted. Weird feelings swept over Miharu as she reopened her eyes to look at the man in front of her. He had the look of…what, compassion? No…satisfaction? Desire? Well, whatever it was, Miharu was certain she felt it too, for she and Preston kissed each other again, only more feverishly and with more passion.

"Easy, young lovebirds." The couple broke apart with slight embarrassment when they saw the elderly waiter who waited their table standing there amused by their infatuation. "Would you two like anything else?"

Preston cleared his throat. "Erm…no, we're fine. May we have the check, please?"

"Certainlly."

Miharu could sense other customers' stare, and eventually returned to their own conversations while the waiter left.

"I'm sorry," she heard her companion say. "I got a bit carried away."

"Hey, stop putting all the blame on yourself. I slipped as well."

It seemed like hours while the two waited for the check. They stayed silent as they drew their attention to everything except to each other. Each was at a loss of what their partner was thinking about that brushing of the lips, the sensation of that moment. Do they feel the same way about each other?

"Sir, here's your check."

Preston was quiet while he paid for their drinks. Miharu watched him thank the waiter wordlessly.

Then, unexpected to her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of Serenitea.

"Wha-!" she started.

They came only in Preston's car. Miharu wondered why he isn't speaking to her. The two got in the vehicle. He started the engine.

"Where are we going?"

"My house; where we wouldn't be bothered."

Her expression brought up his next response.

"No, not like that. I just need to talk with you about something."

Miharu was careful not to let her mind wonder off to far about the upcoming conversation at her boyfriend's residence. She knew, however, what he might speak to her about.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Here's the living room. You can wait here while I return my call. K'?"

"Sure."

Miharu walked over to Preston's L-shaped couch and sat down, admiring his huge house. No, it's more like a custom home, in the neighborhood of Sweetwater right across from Woodstream. Someone 'conveniently' paged Preston which let the suspense hang a bit longer, making her linger. Part of her wanted to hear what he has to say now, but the other, well, nervous. Do I want a companion right now? Am I ready to welcome Preston into my life? Will this relationship fall apart like the others?

Miharu buried her head into her hands with an exasperated sigh. Well, it's too early now, she thought. She needed to know him better. She could never just jump in and marry him just because she likes him. Wait, I like him? She laughed silently to herself. Yeah, he's a nice guy. I like him a lot. Not to mention the way they kissed at Serenitea. That will remain in her head for sure. She read his profile in a magazine she dug out of her bathroom basket full of reading junk a few days after she first met him. He went to college, which is a good thing. Had a degree…yeah, a good thing. There are some other eye-catching things too, for example he donated money to a charity program she barely heard of. So he cares for the poor.

"Well, now that's taken care of…" Preston's low voice sounded from the hallway.

He walked toward her and paused right next to her. When he didn't sit down she looked up at him. He had one hand on the side of his waist, and the other covering his chin and mouth. His eyes looked past her at the book shelf behind her.

Miharu decided to start it up. "Um…you have something you want to-"

Preston cut her off with an index finger. "Yes."

He finally sat down next to her. She could smell his cologne. He held her hand.

"What do you think of me?"

She hesitated. "I…um…"

Miharu didn't want to look at him while she thought of the answer.

"It's okay." She heard him say. His hand started to caress hers. "You don't have to reply right away…but listen to what I think of you."

He took a deep breath, while her breathing seemed to stop.

"I don't know how…or why…I feel different with you than with the other women I've dated. It's too complicated to put into words. But I'm glad Christie introduced you to me. I know that we've only known each other for a short time but…these new feelings started to develop during those times and I found myself thinking about you most almost everyday. It wouldn't stop and it's bothering me too much…when I looked at you again at the teahouse today…the most beautiful woman on Earth…I knew my answer…"

He turned her face to look at his green eyes. "Miharu…I…"

With her mouth slightly agape, she listened intently for his upcoming words. The words she failed to hear during those unsuccessful relationships of the past.

"I think I'm in love with you."

Miharu gasped silently, hand covering her mouth. "Oh Preston…I…"

He gently peeled her hand from her face. Before she could continue she was cut off by his lips.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Christie put little Charlotte into the young girl's room for a nap and walked into the living room with the couch currently occupied by Eddy, whose attention was glued to the football game on TV.

"I wondered how their date went…" She wondered out loud.

"Who's date?" Eddy asked by reflex.

Christie sighed. Eddy felt his giggling wife's hands massage his shoulders. "You know…" She continued. "Mi and Preston's date."

"Oh…yeah…them…" After hearing his careless response she pinched Eddy's cheeks getting his attention. "Ah!"

She laughed wholeheartedly and Eddy chuckled along.

"Come sit by me hon." He patted the space beside him and she gladly obliged while the television switched to commercial break.

They snuggled onto each other's bodies comfortably.

"Hey, that's Preston on the TV." Christie pointed out.

"That's him?"

"Yeah…"

What Eddy saw next on the screen made his brows narrow in disgust. "What's he doing with those women?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Miharu got out from Preston's car and closed the vehicle door behind her.

"So I'll pick you up at three-thirty?" He called from the driver's seat.

"Yeah." She smiled. "Thank you Preston."

"Hey, no problem. Can't wait to meet your friends." He paused when he saw her irresolute expression. "Take your time. Don't worry about what I said too much. It's up to you if you want us to continue."

"Thank you." She leaned in from the open window and kissed him again. "Rest well, 'kay?"

"Sure. You too…well, bye."

"Bye."

He flashed another warm smile and drove away under the setting sun. She waited until his car was no longer visible and slowly walked to her door. She unlocked it and went into her home she shared with Ling. It's not as big as Preston's. It doesn't have a gateway either, but she's satisfied with it. It does not have a second story. The small stair steps only lead to a higher part of her house which is the entertainment area. She turned it into an office because it has windows with the lake view which she oh so loved. It provided a special remedy whenever she's stressed while doing her work in front of her computer. Same goes with Ling.

In Texas, weather could be very unpredictable or awkward. It's wintertime but it's around eighty degrees outside. She tied her long auburn hair into a ponytail to relieve the heat around her neck and walked to her answering machine. Ling owns a separate phone with a different number so it would cause less disorder. Miharu pressed the messages button.

'_You have four messages.'_

She listened to them all quickly. There was one from her father in Japan checking up on her, a crappy infomercial, one from Xiaoyu saying she had to stay at work to finish something, and the last was from Christie asking about the status of Miharu's relationship with Preston.

Miharu made a note to reply her father and Christie and went into her room to change into her casual wear: a large T-shirt and a baggy PJ pants. It had become her habit over the years. She just had to get out of her job formalwear or any kind of dress-up wear and get comfortable whenever she gets home.

Miharu decided it was time for some Pilates and Yoga. So she turned on the stereo at the corner and placed a CD inside. It's a Lifescapes soundtrack full of music concerning nature, harmony, and peace. She skipped to a piano piece and got into her position.

Throughout her exercises she thought about her response for Preston. They made out for a bit after he claimed he loved her. No clothing came off, which was a relief for her. She didn't want to go too fast with the relationship. Heck, she never even meet Preston's parents. She only saw Preston two times and those are the dates. Only two dates, and he already feels for her. It was the fastest relationship she ever got herself into. But the weird thing is, she feels for him too. He's different from the other guys. Like he said earlier, this 'difference' couldn't be put into words. Now, the next big question would be: is it love?

Just then, her lower body began to feel numb.

That's weird, she thought. I know these Pilates moves and it never bothered me before. She felt her legs. Everything seemed right. Her eyes wondered off in deep thought. But wait…this had happened before. That weird sudden numbness. A few times at work, hanging out with her friends, even during sleep it happened.

She glanced back at her legs. What she saw shocked her. A faint blue light glowed on her lower body, and her legs seemed to become slightly transparent. Cold sweat began to flow down the sides of her face as she reached a shaking hand to touch her right leg.

Her hand went right through.

Miharu began to panic. She was confused at the sight. No doctors or physicians faced this type of…'situation' before. But she had to try to tell them even though the chances of them understanding this would be a miracle. Just before she thought the circumstances would become worse, her legs returned to normal. The feelings returned to them. She could feel the soft carpet floors again.

Miharu quickly touched them one more time just to make sure her eyes aren't playing tricks, then got up, walked slowly toward her phone. She thought of who to call at the time. Ling would probably be busy. Julia and Jin work late all the time, so no use there. Hwoarang might be home or on his way home by now she wasn't sure. Eddy's classes at '24hr Fitness' were over a long time ago, and she never knew Christie's schedule with its constant changes. Miharu guessed the woman was home due to the fact that the Brazilian left a message earlier.

Even though it might help telling one of her close friends about her problem, but it also meant putting extra burden on them. Having thought of that, she put down the phone and lay down on the sofa, falling into a deep nap.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

I should've written more but I'm still concerned about the plotlines. New ideas kept popping up like…popcorn. And I have to trash some of the old ones. That was why I made changes on the first chapter.

Next chap will be the 'quadruple' date and hopefully Miharu's reply to Preston. Miharu's 'problem' will worsen too. Just cross my fingers and hope I'll continue this.

Thanks to the ones who're reading this. I appreciate it greatly.


	3. Chap 3

Whoopa! Another chapter.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Do you think we should tell her about it?"

Eddy did not reply Christie's question as he drove down Austin Parkway to drop off Charlotte at her sitter's, then turn back and head for Baker St. The commercial yesterday evening bothered the couple and they were unsure weather or not the others, or yet Miharu, had seen it.

Christie looked back from glancing at her husband toward the road in front of her. "She didn't even return my call…"

Eddy sighed and took a hold of his wife's hand. "It's gonna to be alright. Mi's a big girl. We have to believe she could take care of herself. She probably had no time or was busy yesterday evening."

"Or something unfortunate happened…" Christie said dully.

"Dearest, please try not to think things negatively. Problems will never be solved by worrying about them. Mi might be fine you'll never know. We'll find out how things are going when those two arrive." He kissed her hand. "Besides, if he hurt Mi in any way the six of us can always bust his ass."

His voice didn't sound uncompromising or stern. It was soothing. And that made Christie feel better. She smiled and pulled Eddy's arm toward her and hugged it tightly. For a moment there he didn't expect her action, and he almost got dragged to the passenger's side. Thank God he stopped the car awhile back to wait for the traffic light.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Sorry we're late!" Jin called out to Hwoarang and Julia as he came running toward Baker St. with Xiaoyu, his hand holding hers.

Hwoarang saw the gesture. "What, busy making out in the car?"

Julia burst out laughing while Hwoarang merely grinned as he took a swig from his cigarette, satisfied by his rival's reddening cheeks.

Jin glared daggers at the ex-gangster. "Nothing happened you moron."

"Yeah, we're just happy that we got some time to spend together so we…kinda had a little personal date before this big date that we're gonna have." Ling said.

Hwoarang rolled his eyes. "Sheesh…can't even take a joke." He took one last swig, then dropped it onto the ground and stepped his foot on it.

Julia tapped his shoulder. "Hwoarang…"

"Yes dear?" He turned toward her.

Julia pointed her finger downward.

"Hmm?" Hwoarang glanced down and removed his foot, revealing the now flat cigarette. "Oh…so?"

Julia slapped the back of his head.

"Ow! Yes ma'am, I'll pick it up right away!"

Jin and Ling burst out laughing.

"He needs to be taught not to litter." Jin said.

"Shut up!"

Julia rubbed Hwoarang's arm. "It's okay honey."

The redhead sighed. "Kazama, you're lucky I'm not in the mood for sparring." He dumped the cig into a nearby garbage bin and looked around. "Where are the others?"

"They should be here by now…" Ling wondered out loud.

"What time is it?" Julia asked.

Jin checked his watch. "Quarter till four."

"Hey, there's Eddy's car." Hwoarang pointed out.

Indeed, Eddy waved at them as he drove by the group into the parking garage right beside the pub.

"Okay…now that Eddy and Chris have arrived…" said Ling. "Mi and Preston have yet to turn up."

"Hey Xiao, you should know why Miharu's late. Aren't you two sharing a house?" Hwoarang asked.

"Yeah, but I left earlier to meet up with Jin."

"Did she tell you how she'll get here? Is she driving?"

"No. She told me Preston will pick her up at three-thirty."

"I see…then he's not too punctual."

Christie walked up to the group. "Hey guys."

"Hey." They all said at once.

Eddy strode up next to his wife. The first thing he did was to look for the two people he needed to see, but did not find them.

"Where's Mi and Preston?"

"Not here yet." Hwoarang replied tediously.

Eddy and Christie looked at each other apprehensively, as if urging one another to bring up the topic they did not want to speak about.

"Um…" Christie started.

"There she is!"

Julia's voice caught them off guard.

Miharu came running and stopped in front of her friends, panting heavily. "I'm…so sorry we're late!"

"Where's Preston?" Jin asked.

"Someone called him when we got here so he told me to go ahead and meet up with you guys here. He said he'll catch up later."

"Is everything okay?" The question that popped from Christie's mouth got everyone staring. Probably because the way it was asked made it seemed like a life-threatening emergency happened, or something close to it.

Christie was a bit stunned herself. She didn't mean for it to sound that way. It was supposed to be asked in a more calmly fashion. At least she wanted it to be like that.

"I'm sorry…it's just that I was wondering how you two are doing. You and Preston I mean…after all I was the one who introduced him to you. I just want to make sure you're happy with him."

All eyes are now on Miharu. They all wondered about the same thing.

"Oh, everything's fine Chris. I'm sorry I didn't get to reply you yesterday. I fell asleep on my couch. Xiao didn't wake me up when she got home and, well, when I woke up it was already one and I didn't want to bother your sleep."

Christie nodded. "That's alright. So you're fine with Preston? Was he good to you?"

Miharu smiled. "Yes, he's been really nice to me. Oh, I still have yet to tell you guys why we're late."

She took a deep breath, the smile still on her face. "Um…yesterday, after our second date, he invited me to his house. He…err…he said…"

"He what? He what?" Hwoarang impatiently cut it.

"He said he love me."

The whole group went silent. Mixed thoughts filled each mind, Christie and Eddy especially.

Miharu looked at the ground. "I didn't reply him at first. After I got home I did a lot of thinking…all through the night…after I awoke at the couch. I thought about all the gifts he sent and kind words he said to me…all of them meant so much to me…I felt special when he was with me because of his constant compliments. And so today…when he came to pick me up, I told him about what I thought of him and I…I think I love him too."

Miharu looked up and saw that everyone had the look of awe and surprise.

When none of them said anything it made Miharu uncomfortable. "Um…you guys…say something."

"Err…" Hwoarang started.

To tell the truth, no one knew how to reply her. Miharu seemed happy and all but…it happened so quickly.

"Hello." Preston's cheerful voice could be heard from behind Miharu. All looked past her toward the man she came to love.

Xiaoyu decided to break the tension and behave with polite mannerism.

"Hey there," she said, hand stretched out. "I'm Ling Xiaoyu, Miharu's friend."

"Hi." He smiled and shook her hand. She found his smile contagious.

Jin followed suit. He waved at Preston. "I'm Jin. Jin Kazama."

"Hi. The name's Julia Chang. Nice to meet you." Preston saw the brunette and greeted her.

"Hwoarang." The Korean nodded casually. Preston waved at him and smiled.

Miharu gestured toward the Brazilian couple. "Um, you already know Christie. That's her husband, Eddy."

Preston smiled at them and bowed slightly. "Miharu told me many great things about all of you. And from my own judgment, I think you're all nice people. Pleased to meet you all, I'm Preston Kilburne."

The kindness this man showed made everyone feel at ease.

"Why, thank you for your praise. You're not bad yourself." They heard Hwoarang say in a deep, witty voice.

The group broke into slight laughter. Hwoarang's amusingly comical tone lightened up the mood.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let go in and have a drink." Eddy said.

Everyone agreed, and was in high spirits for this gathering. With the exception of Christie.

Even though Miharu's reply was a positive one, it still bothered Christie how fast the relationship came to pass.

She knew Preston for quite some time now, ever since several weeks ago, when the photographer led her through the photo shoot and saw Preston posing for a cologne ad…with another woman. His dress shirt was unbuttoned and her hand was reached under it and placed on top of his chest. Her face was very close to his neck. Well, what can you do? It's for the sake of advertising. Besides they immediately got separated when the shoot was over. It's their work. It's his job. No harm done.

Christie herself was unable to ignore his charm when he walked up to her to say hi. If she hadn't fallen in love with Eddy she might have had a huge crush on Preston. She sees Preston now and then to appoint him with new tasks. Okay, you need to do this and that. You should be at this location at this time, etc. That was all the communication the two shared over the past few weeks.

Even though Christie was a bit bossy with Preston he never once been contempt of her. He would always smile and do what she told him to do. So she opened up a bit, flattering his work and buying him coffee. He would do the same in return. They had small chats whenever they meet. After awhile she decided that he might be a good man to introduce to Miharu.

But now she thought if she made the right decision. Preston is nice and all that but she noticed he was more involved with women than with men. She never met his male friends. Hopefully he'll make a few more today during this date. Jin would probably accept him because of his benevolence. Hwoarang was still inspecting Preston out. Eddy, like Christie herself, was watching Preston closely. After what the two saw yesterday on the television, Christie just hoped her assumption wasn't true, although there might be a chance of that to be a fact.

The problem is that Preston never shown any signs of being a womanizer. None that Christie saw herself. He was just too nice. Too friendly. Christie hoped that the others will soon see the commercial with their own eyes, even if it meant Miharu will see it, it might be best that way.

It was just a flash of adult-contented commercial so it might not be on the sports channel for long. She guessed they put it up by mistake when it was supposed to be on the Adult Wave. But why was Preston in it? Did he volunteer for it?

"Honey? What would you like to drink?" Christie snapped out of her thoughts when her husband asked her.

"What were you thinking about?" Hwoarang asked.

"Err…nothing, really. Just worrying about work tomorrow."

"Oh. Everyone ordered except you. So…"

"Sorry. Um…" She quickly scanned the selection. "A Bacardi and diet Pepsi for me please."

"Sure thing. I'll have your drinks in a few moments." The waitress replied.

Christie was so deep in thought she failed to realize they're already sitting at a table.

Preston immediately started up a conversation.

"Oh Christie, I just wanted to thank you for introducing Miharu to me. She's such a wonderful lady."

Miharu smiled. Yet another admiring comment from Preston. She hooked her arm around Preston. He kissed her on the forehead.

"Your welcome." _I guess_.

"Where're you from, Preston?" Julia asked.

"Me? I was born in Greece, and moved here when I was young."

Everyone gawked at him.

"Greece?" Hwoarang repeated. "How diverse can we get?"

"I know Christie and Eddy are from Brazil, and Miharu's from Japan. What about the rest of you guys?" Preston asked.

"Well, I'm Korean. South Korean to be specific." Hwoarang said. "Julia here is Native American. Ling is from China and Kazama over there, is also Japanese."

"I see."

It turned out everyone took turns describing their work and a bit of their life. Hwoarang and Julia also talked about their oncoming marriage.

Christie momentarily forgot about the occurrence the day before and joined in the chat along with the others.

Just when everything was going along smoothly, numbness was felt again on Miharu's body. Preston had his arm over her shoulder but she couldn't feel that either. Terror swept over her once more. She glanced around at her friends. Thankfully no one noticed her edginess yet.

She needed an excuse to leave the group.

"Um…I'm sorry. I need to use the restroom."

"Oh, go ahead." Preston released her and continued listening to Hwoarang's talk about his wedding plans.

Miharu picked up her purse and got up. The need to share this with someone was great. Miharu felt sorry as she tapped Xiaoyu on the shoulder.

"Xiao?" She whispered.

Ling turned around to face her friend. "Mi? What is it?"

"Can you come with me? I need to tell you something…it's pretty urgent."

The tone of Miharu's voice told Xiaoyu that she is in need for some kind of help. And Miharu knew Ling wouldn't abandon her like this.

"Jin, I'll be right back."

"Where're you going?"

"To the bathroom with Mi…just girl stuff."

He nodded. "Sure."

She picked up her own bag and walked toward the ladies' room with Miharu, who couldn't feel her legs at all. She stumbled as she walked. It was horrible.

Ling came to help support her. "Mi! You alright?"

They reached the restroom door and shut it, locking it tightly. No one was there at the moment, thank God.

Ling kept her voice at low volume as she spoke. "Mi, tell me what's wrong! Why are you acting this way?"

"Xiao…there's something you need to know…and it's about me…" Miharu's numbness was still present. She leaned against the sink counter.

Xiaoyu began to panic. "What is it?"

"It's…been happening for quite some time now…I don't know what's going on but…sometimes parts of my body would feel numb and…glow in a strange light while becoming transparent…when I reach out my hand to touch that part of my body…it would just go right through…"

"Mi, what are you talking about? That's impossible!"

"I know it's hard to believe but I have no idea what is wrong with me either! It happened just now but this time I felt numb through my entire body!" Miharu said. Her voice kept at minimum but with intensity and fear. "It's getting worse, Xiao…I don't know what to do…" Her eyes began to glaze up with tears. "I don't know what to do…" She whispered, lips trembling slightly.

Ling was beyond shocked. This was a situation she never handled before and it frightened her of what's happening to her friend.

"Oh Mi…" She hugged her shivering friend. "It's okay…you need to see a doctor…I'll tell the others—"

Miharu quickly cut her off. "No don't tell the others! I don't want to trouble them!"

"But you need help! I can't stand seeing you like this!"

Just then Miharu's numbness died down and returned to normal. "It stopped…"

"What?"

"It stopped…the numbness…but it'll come back…I know it…"

"Okay, we need to get you home first. We'll try to figure something out."

Miharu nodded. "O…okay…"

Ling helped Miharu stand up straight. She unlocked the door and the two stepped out, unsure of how to pass this on to their friends.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Hey out there. I was so happy to finish the third chap! All of you who reviewed gave me motivation. I don't want to let you all down.

To thunderxtw: Thank you for your review. Hope to see more of 'Nina Returns' soon!

To Karisan-Karisan: Steve comes in…lets see…maybe around two or three chapters later. I'll try to shorten the wait. Thank you for all your support!

To Skylight Angel: Thank you for writing that fic with all my favorite pairings in it! Continue with it please!

To MooNTeARZ: Yeah, long time no see. Thank you for your review.


	4. Chap 4

Wow, chapter four's here. Wee

P.S. I noticed I made a mistake in chapter one. When Julia commented Jin on being one of the top business managers in Japan, it was supposed to be in Houston. Sorry about that.

I posted a Steve/Miharu fan art in my gallery. Just click on the link in my profile.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Miharu and Xiaoyu were gone for the bathroom for quite awhile now and Christie was starting to wonder. The men, however, continued their chit chat like nothing was going on. She looked over to Julia, who listened like how a good student would to a professor. Their topics kept on switching back and forth from the Iron Fists to football and back again. Sometimes they would also jump randomly to Hwoarang's hair color and rock bands. Christie knew the Native American was losing interest fast and wouldn't blame her for it. Men could talk about so many things among themselves that women often get confused if they knew their girlfriends are still here with them.

Boys would be boys, even if they are full-grown men.

Just when Christie felt like getting up to go check on Ling and Miharu, the two women walked over to the table with expressions of insecurity and doubt. She looked on as Xiaoyu tries to get the group's attention, especially the men's.

"Um, guys…"

"What is it, Ling?" Hwoarang asked.

"Mi's feeling a bit sick so we have to get her home."

"Are you okay?" asked Julia.

"Yeah, I just need to go see the doctor…"

"Preston?" Xiaoyu tapped the man on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" He replied while he finished off his drink.

"Could you take Mi home and stay with her for a bit and wait for me there?"

"Uh…sure."

"I'm sorry everybody…" said Miharu. "…for the inconvenience."

"It's perfectly fine." said Jin. "You should inform others whenever you're ill."

The eight of them stood up, paid for their drinks, and walked outside.

"Alright, everyone meet up at our house." Ling said. "There's something you guys should know."

Miharu looked elsewhere while she followed Preston to his car. This is what she was afraid of, other than her physical condition. She hates it whenever her close friends, including Preston, are troubled because of her, especially when there's possibly no cure at all for this state of her body.

No cure at all.

Miharu wanted to cry or possibly even die. This numbness and the strange light emitting from her body, and how she practically was disappearing, she couldn't bear it. How on Earth will the others react to this? After seeing Ling's face when she received the news made Miharu fearful of the others' response.

More importantly, how will Preston respond? Will he dump her because of how hopeless she is? No doubt about it. If not break up with her right away he will just give up the idea of living with her forever sooner or later.

They got in Preston's car and he started the engine. He was incredibly silent while he followed Hwoarang's car toward his girlfriend's home.

Miharu glanced sideways at him. He was staring at the road with an unreadable look on his face.

She decided not to speak with him either. She didn't feel like talking at all. She just hoped that Preston will not see her the way she is. Miharu was also beginning to think if having a boyfriend was such a good idea anymore.

But Preston said he loves her didn't he? And she kind of told him that too. When he said that, didn't he mean that he's committed to her, and she to him? How will that commitment be kept strong anymore?

Miharu closed her eyes tightly and a tear expectedly ran down her cheek. She was quiet; Preston wasn't looking her way, so he didn't know she was weeping.

The trip to the house seemed shorter than expected. Preston parked at the front and finally looked at her. He unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned toward her and gently massaged her neck and shoulder. "Everything okay?" he asked with concern.

No. It's a living hell. This was her reply, only she didn't say it out loud.

"What part are you not feeling well?" he asked again.

When she did not answer again, he sighed. "Let us go in shall we?"

She nodded. Preston got out from his side of the car and went over to her side, opening the door for her as she unbuckled her seatbelt. He helped her out the car when Jin came over to them.

"Is she okay?"

"She didn't reply me when I asked her that…" Preston said.

"Well come on, everyone's inside." He and Preston accompanied Miharu into her home and sat her on her couch.

"Thanks." She muttered.

Preston's cell phone rang again.

He sighed. "Excuse me while I take this…" He went into a corner to take the call.

Ling sat next to Miharu. "Mi, you think Preston should know about it?" she whispered.

"Well…I personally don't want to but…"

Preston walked over to Christie. "Um, I got another offer from the office and they request me to go now."

"Go ahead."

"Thanks." He then stopped next to Miharu and held her hand. "I need to run. They're sending me in." He kissed her cheek. "If you ever need me, well, you have my number. 'K?"

She smiled weakly. "Okay…"

He hugged her one last time before he went out the door and closed it behind him.

"So…" Hwoarang started, after seeing Preston leave. "What is this thing that we need to know?"

Miharu put up a hand to stop Xiaoyu before the Chinese woman could start.

"I'll tell them…"

Ling was a bit taken aback but she backed down and respects her friend's request.

Miharu couldn't look into the eyes of her friends as they waited patiently for her to start.

"I…I'm not really sick…it's much worst than being sick."

Hwoarang frowned. "What do you mean?"

Miharu slowly, but steadily, told her Iron Fist friends about her unpromising situation.

"WHAT?" Christie yelled.

"Are you fucking serious?" Miharu heard Hwoarang curse.

"This…this isn't possible!" Julia's voice was filled with incredulity.

"It's hopeless!" Miharu yelled, startling everyone in the room.

She burst into tears. "What is happening to me? I want this to stop!"

Xiaoyu immediately hugged her. "Mi! Don't cry! Please…" The raven-haired woman was also close to tears.

Hwoarang came up to her. "Mi, snap out of it!" He also held Miharu, trying to comfort her. "Everything's gonna be fine…"

Christie and the rest joined in the embrace. Each of them circled around her like a protective shield, saying words of comfort as the poor woman cried her heart out. Miharu couldn't do anything else but lean on them for support. Those surrounding her made her have the feeling that she's not alone, that they're always here to help her stand up whenever she falls. But she also knew they cannot be beside her always. They have their own work, their own life to live, future families to raise. She needs a lifetime companion that would be there for her till the end of time, to be the wind beneath her wings, her first source of comfort. No matter what happens to her that person would still be beside her, never leaving her.

She thought of Preston. How she wished he would be the first to hold her in his arms. She doesn't want to ask too much of him. She just wanted him to be here alongside with her. That's all. She wanted him to be her companion.

But he wasn't there.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Monday: the most hated day for most citizens of the workforce.

Even though Jin was contented that his business had maintained a high cash flow within the industry, Miharu's depressing news brought him unending worries for the Japanese woman. This was something never heard of ever in history. He was sure of it. Miharu told them that there will be no cure for her, and he admitted, she's right. Even though Earth's medical technology had been vast over the years, it still had no ability to cure a disappearing person.

Jin felt deadened. He didn't want this to happen to her. Not now, not ever. He wanted to ask whoever or whatever the question why. Why do this to her? Why make her suffer? What is the purpose of this?

The man slammed his fist hard on his desk. It broke instantly underneath him. Some of his co-workers paused at his door to peek inside; curious of their manager's burst of rage. Most of them knew him well enough and were familiar with his background of being a Karate pro participating in the most well-known fighting tournament in the world. So it shouldn't be a big shocker for them.

Jin looked up and saw the inquisitive faces at the door. They backed off and went back to work as soon as he did so.

Jin wouldn't blame them if they're afraid on him from now on. He doesn't express his emotions at work, he only talks to others whenever there's a meeting or whenever communication was required of him and comes in play. Yes, he's friendly and polite and really appreciates everyone who works under his wing, but breaking his glass desk was a first.

Speaking of glass, Jin looked at the bottom of his balled up hand and, indeed, blood was already trickling down at the bottom.

He sighed and walked to the restroom to clean it up. When he got back into his office, not without getting worried glances here and there while he made the small trip, he took a box of first aid kit from inside his storage shelf and started bandaging up the wound.

When he was finished, he replaced the kit back to its place and sat down on his office chair, staring at the mess in front of him. He wondered how the others are doing right now. He wondered how Miharu's doing right now. No so good, of course.

He heard from Ling that Miharu went for a check-up at her physician this morning and miraculously, the doctor said she had the flu. Jin wanted to laugh. A flu? No way was it that simple. But why did the physician claim she was indeed sick, and gave her permission from work?

Dozens of questions flowed through Jin's mind. About Miharu's situation, about her check-up, Preston, the others, etc.

Miharu had requested to work home and so did Ling, who wanted to look over her friend.

Jin wanted to thank Ling for her generosity. He decided to pay a visit to her house around seven.

But first he needed to clean up his office space and finish the paperwork before he could worry about Miharu any further.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Miharu tried to call Preston many times, but it was only his answering machine that she received. Ling assured her that Preston probably had things to do and will return her call when he finishes. So Miharu could only tell Preston she had the 'flu' as a message.

"What is he doing?" she asked no one in particular.

"Mi, do you want some water? You look drained."

Miharu ignored Ling's question. Her body almost disappeared again. Twice. She had cried all night yesterday night, and cried more today.

This morning she finally gave her doctor a try and only got a presumption of her having the flu. Doctors are no help at all, she thought.

Miharu was getting close to the edge of the cliff. Her spirit and hope had all fallen apart by now. She hid her tear-stained face under her pillow and lay down on the sofa. The Japanese woman hasn't heard from Preston ever since yesterday, when he left because of an offer. Part of her wanted to hold him, and another part wanted to forget him. Adding more stress to her friends' lives was enough. She doesn't want to do that to Preston either.

Ling wanted Miharu's suffering to stop. She wished it was all just a nightmare. So far they haven't found anyone who could help her. No one can. All she could do was reassure her friend again and again that everything's fine. But both of them knew everything wasn't fine.

The house was quiet but someone rang the doorbell, startling the Chinese woman.

"Coming!" Ling called out. She walked to the door and opened it. It was Hwoarang.

"Hi." He greeted.

"Hey."

He walked in and she closed the door. "Came to see Mi?"

"Yeah." He quietly replied. He then held up a plastic bag. "Um…got some Korean noodles for you two. Hope you ladies enjoy…"

Hwoarang's voice was dispirited. Ling frowned at that.

"How's she doing?" he asked, even though he knew the answer to that question.

"Not well…"

The man walked quietly toward the sofa Miharu's lying on. The Japanese woman was taking a rest. Hwoarang saw all the tears on her face. He placed the bag carefully on the rectangular coffee table and sat down next to her. He took a tissue from the box on the table and gently wiped Miharu's face.

He heard her moan quietly. "…Preston?" she whispered.

"No, it's me."

She opened her eyes and saw the all too familiar face of the red haired Korean. "Hwoarang?"

He nodded and held Miharu's hand. "Why is this happening to you?" He whispered.

"I wish I knew…" she sniffed.

"Xiao told me it happened again today…"

"I wish I was dead…"

"Don't ever say that!" Hwoarang said sternly. "I believe that this is all going to pass. I don't think this is happening without a reason!"

Miharu's eyes went wide, so did Ling's who's standing behind the sofa where her friends sat.

"Hwoarang…"

"Look, I know what you're thinking…you wondered why such a punk like me started to have faith in that concept." He sighed. "Maybe I've changed too much…ever since I fell in love with Jules…"

"You've changed for the better." He heard Ling say.

Hwoarang nodded at Xiaoyu. "Thanks…" he turned back to face Miharu. "But really, Mi, I don't think you're suffering for nothing. I think there's something behind this whole thing…something that we've never seen or experienced before…"

Miharu couldn't believe what was coming out from the Korean's mouth. But something told her he's right. The words he said gave her a sense of hope for the first time that day.

She hugged him. "Thank you Hwoarang…for being such a good friend."

He hugged back. "You're welcome…"

Just then, Miharu's whole body glowed in a bight neon light. Hwoarang and Ling backed off and shielded they eyes. Miharu's scream was the last thing they heard before she finally disappeared, the light shot away from the couch and into the sky.

"MI!" Xiaoyu cried out.

"Mi!" Hwoarang frantically felt around the couch where Miharu lay. "Shit!"

"No!" Xiaoyu fell onto the carpet floor; tears continually flowed down her cheeks.

Hwoarang came and knelt down next to her. He shook her shoulders gently. "Stop it Ling! You have to believe she'll come back!"

She shook his hands away. "What do you know? Huh? How can you be sure that nothing bad is happening? She disappeared damn it!"

"Look, Ling. When I said what I said, I meant what I said! There's gotta be a reason behind this and it might not be as bad as you think!"

She stared at him in shock. "What kind of a friend are you?"

"A kind of friend who believes in her…"

Ling frowned. "How? How do you know that she'll come back? What makes you so sure?"

"I don't know…I just know…"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Just in case if anyone was confused, Hwoarang visited earlier than Jin.

Well, chapter four's finished! Whew! wipes forehead

To Karisan-Karisan: Well, the wait is over. Steve will appear the next chapter. I'm glad you like the idea of Hwoarang and Julia's marriage. But this has to be cut off for awhile because the setting will not be on Earth for a few chapters…maybe a few interludes here and there. Thank you for your kind words yet again! Be sure to update your story too!

To thunderxtw: Yes, I updated! I'm glad I'm not quitting this. Yeah, I feel very sorry for Miharu as well. But all the pieces will come together later on. I'm so glad you're reading this. –bows-

To Panda: I know the pairings are perfect! I hope Namco pairs these people together in Tekken too…if they decide to do that of course. But that'll be unlikely since it's a fighting-based game. Thank you for your comment. I'm trying my best on the grammar. About the plot, I just hope it'll flow well later on in the story. Oh, I so hope it will! Thank you for reviewing.

To Skylight Angel: Steve and Miharu ARE cute! Be sure to check my fan art out! Oh, another thing: you're Miss Sweetness on Tekkn Zaibatsu right? I read the general discussions forum recently and saw you playing that Tekken Game invented by TekkenGamr4life. I was wondering if you can keep Steve alive for me? He has only seven points left! I'm not a member of that site so I can't do anything. –sniff- I'm glad that Hwoarang's far from dying. Hwoarang's Babe made sure of that. Miharu and Jin are dead! No! Oh well…I'll get over it I hope…

Thank you so much for your review and don't stop on your fic either!

To MooNTeARZ: I hope chapter four wasn't that bad…hope you liked. Your fictions are more awesome than mine. I'm no writer…


	5. Chap 5

Whoopa, peoplez. Sorry for the long wait yet again. Many things got my attention and interest the past weeks that made me distance myself from my fic.

I have more pics up in my gallery. The pic called 'Ready to Fight' is my favorite so far. It is also how Steve looks like in this story. Well, add a few more years to his face maybe.

There's a second Steve/Miharu pic and a pic with Chibi Hwoarang and Chibi Steve together. If anyone wishes, check them out!

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

A man in his late twenties strode through a dense forest of Janus. The trees there are tall and often block off the sunlight from above. But rays of light still found its way to shine onto the ground where the trees gave an opening. His companion, an elderly man, was trying his best to catch up to his prince, for the younger man's pace was in haste.

"Sir, wait!" Arthur, the pursuer, panted as he dodged branch after branch. "Not so fast!"

The prince finally stopped to look back at Arthur.

"You shouldn't have come. You don't have to follow me like this." he said impatiently.

Arthur caught up and catches his breath. "I...I was ordered…by her majesty…to…to watch over you…at all times, sir…"

The young man sighed. "My mother…she's still treating me as if I'm a mere child."

"She just…doesn't want her only heir to get hurt…"

"I'm perfectly capable when it comes to self-defense. Didn't my father make sure of that?" he replied firmly and continued walking at a slower pace.

Arthur followed close behind. "I'm sure of it, sir. Your powers are growing day by day. You're the strongest man I've ever known. It'll be such a blessing with you as Ariya's future ruler."

The taller man did not reply.

"Sir…may I ask why you came out here today? Did your father request you to for training?"

"…yes, but not in Phyem Forest."

"Then why did you come here?"

"It's hard for me to say…"

When the prince glanced down after a moments silence and saw Arthur's expression telling him to continue, he sighed.

"I don't really understand myself. There was a strange sense I felt earlier today. A sense telling me something is coming…and it led me here to this forest."

Arthur looked at his surroundings as he walked. "Strange sense, you say? Is your power of alertness playing tricks on you, sir?"

The younger man shook his head. "No, I don't think it's alertness…you might think I'm strange when I say this but I've been…expecting this…"

Indeed, Arthur gave his prince a look of uncertainty. "You've been…expecting a coming of…something, sir?"

The young man nodded. "It's a…long story. I'm not sure I've got time to explain it to you, Arthur. And I don't think you're going to believe me either."

The pair walked in silence. Awhile later Arthur was starting to think weather or not the prince had lied to him, and just wants to skip training.

"Sir, if you don't hurry your father will not be satisfied." The elder man warned.

The prince came to a sudden halt, causing Arthur to walk into his extended arm.

"Sir, what—!"

"What is that?" The young man wondered out loud.

Arthur followed the direction of his prince's stare toward the sky. He couldn't see anything at first, but after a bit of help from his long-vision abilities (he use it to watch over the prince from afar) he could make out exactly what his prince saw.

"Oh my it's…it's a person! No, a woman! Falling from the sky!"

He felt something take off during the middle of his sentence and looked at the spot next to him to see the young man had disappeared from view.

"Sir!" he called out.

After moments of failure at searching, Arthur looked back at the falling woman. She was getting close to the ground and his began to thump rapidly inside him. She will die if someone doesn't save her. But unfortunately for him, he does not have a high enough level of telekinesis to help stop her from hitting the ground. His body wasn't capable of it.

Just then, he saw his prince leap into the air, caught the falling woman into his arms, and landed back down into Phyem Forest. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief, then teleported to where the younger man was. He looked ahead and saw that his prince had one knee knelt onto the ground of a small clearing, the sun shining down upon him. In his arms lay a foreign woman clad in strange cloths. She seemed unconscious.

"Are you alright, sir?" he asked as he walked toward his prince.

"I'm fine." The younger man replied without taking his eyes off the woman.

Arthur took a closer look at her. He immediately found her beautiful. She had auburn-colored hair that flowed down to her shoulder blades. Her skin tone was just right; not too pale nor tanned. Her rosy lips shimmered under the sunlight. She also had a flawless complexion and her figure was slim.

Arthur was just about to study her strange clothing when his prince rose to his feet.

Turning toward the elder man, he said, "Take her back to the palace. She can rest in my room. Guard her there until I return."

Arthur hesitated. "But, sir…we don't know who she is…or where she came from—"

"Just do it…please." The prince's tone sounded final but pleading.

"Al…alright. I'll summon a transporting device." As soon as he finished saying those words, a metallic silver and black hovercraft floated from afar and came to a halt in front of them. The backseat door opened and the prince gently laid the woman onto the soft cushions inside.

Before Arthur got into the controller's seat, he looked toward the prince again. "Sir, what about the others? Should they know about this?"

The young man paused for a moment.

"It's probably best if they know nothing about her at the time being. But it doesn't matter, really, whether they know or not..." then, with a darker voice, he said "…it does matter to my father, however."

Arthur didn't quite get why his price kept clenching his fists at the mere mention of his father. And he dare not ask, either, about the price's constant seriousness and his incessantly furrowed eyebrows. Come to think of it, Arthur had never seen the prince laugh or give a sincere smile before. What's not to enjoy in the young man's life? He's got great power beyond imagination, smart brain, handsome features, an extremely well physical build, and lives in a magnificently grand palace with all the servants and ladies at his feet. The prince should be happy.

Arthur shook his head to rid the thoughts out of his mind. "Well then…I shall see you after awhile, sir."

The prince nodded. He watched until the hovercraft was out of sight, and then focused on his destination before he jumped with great agility from the ground of Phyem Forest and flew into the air.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

Dense fog surrounded the prince as he landed near the supposed training area where his father had told him to go.

His current location was at another forest. This one does not have the calm atmosphere that Phyem possesses. Rather, it bore an air of mystery. The creatures that live here never liked light, and always hide in the darkness where they feel a sense of security. The prince could see bright red or yellow eyes here and there as he walked around the place. His father never really told him the exact spot of their training. The prince was only told to arrive at a certain time and nothing more.

With no knowledge of what could happen, the young man could only pay extra attention to his surroundings, turning on his power to sense danger.

The threats that came to him the past fifteen minutes were merely the dark creatures that pounced at him thirsting for blood. He blasted them all to their deaths using their weaknesses, fire and light, to his advantage.

The prince knew perfectly well that this was not the real deal. The challenges that his father gave him never was this easy.

So he walked on. The creatures have all given up their attacks and hid back into the shadows, afraid that they'll be killed by this hazardous man.

His time at this forest had reached half an hour and still no signs of anything. But he never let his guard down. However boring it might be, he knows his father was testing his patience. The Overlord himself was situated somewhere in this forest, watching his son's every move.

It finally came.

In a split second, hundreds of laser bullets shot from all directions aiming for the prince. But he was ready. His eyes flashed blue and all the ammunitions stopped right on its tracks, even the ones that will come after the first group. With a wave of his hand the ammos disintegrated into dust.

That wasn't the only obstacle. An incredibly sharp lance shot from the ground. It could've torn his right leg apart if he hadn't move out of the way with incredible agility. More lances shot up randomly from the ground. Arrows sprayed toward him aiming for his head. He dodged all the lances while placing a shield above him so the arrows just bounce right off from his force field.

Then his body caught on fire. With a quick reflex, he converted his body so that he absorbed the flames without the fire burning too much of his cloths and skin.

The prince took a deep breath, healed the red parts of his skin and kept on the lookout at his surroundings.

"Very good…very good indeed." A voice said from thin air.

The figure of the Overlord appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of the prince. The elder man had wavy dark blonde hair neatly tied in a low ponytail. He wore a pair of unframed square spectacles and had a mustache above his upper lip and some framed the bottom part of his face. He kept his cold deep cerulean eyes on his son and crossed his strong arms.

The young man inclined his head. "Father." He said.

"You've done well." This supposed-praise, when it came out from his mouth, sounded as if he wasn't satisfied at all at his son's progress. "These are just a few of the unexpected dangers that I've forced you to face. You kept your guard on even though nothing happened for quite some time. It's a test of patience, alertness, and quick reflexes."

The prince listened as his father started lecturing him about the types of unexpected dangers and often asked questions about the defensive actions one should do in order to prevent from death.

"Listen, Steven. I gave you these gifts of incredible power so that one day you could take over my position as ruler of Ariya. I want to teach you to become invincible. People will fear you and you will give them a taste of your abilities whenever they turn against you. Make them listen to you. You understand?"

The prince nodded his head slowly. He already knew what path his father wanted him to take. But deep in his heart he did not want to become someone he's not.

"Now, let us see how far you've come on your physical strength."

The prince followed his father out of the fog-infested forest, and onto a huge plain, where a giant rock fiend await him. His mind began to drift to the lady he saved earlier today as he powered his body up for the upcoming fight.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

Arthur looked back toward the woman as he flew the hovercraft toward the palace. He continued to wonder where she had come from. If she dropped from the sky she might have came from outer space. Could she be an alien in disguise? He gave that thought up immediately as that assumption might be a little too foolish. He could never have imagined such a fine and breathtakingly beautiful lady as an alien. She is far from it.

Curiosity never left him when the palace came to view.

It stood proudly at the corner part in the fatherland of Ariya. The structure was held high above all other buildings of the villages and towns below by a small mountain. Trees surround the glowing bastion. One could see the setting sunlight piercing through the many crystal windows of the palace. One could also agree Ariya has the best scenery during sunrises and sunsets. The ocean beyond Ariya glittered like a vast pool of gems and crystals.

After pausing the hovercraft for a moment to enjoy the landscape, Arthur continued his flight headed for his prince's chamber, toward one of the highest part of the palace facing the sea. The balcony has a shape of a half-circle. It was large, therefore making the hovercraft's landing possible. Arthur got out from the front, and opened the backseat door. The woman remained unconscious throughout the trip and was still down for the count when Arthur carefully floated her over toward the prince's mattress and slipped her under the blankets, tucking her in comfortably.

Arthur waved the hovercraft away and sat down in an armchair against the wall to wait for the prince's return.

Ten minutes passed and Arthur was beginning to doze off from the quietness of the room. But a sudden knock from the double doors startled the man at his seat.

"C…come in." He called quietly after a yawn.

The left door opened and a blonde woman stepped in the room. Arthur saw the look on her face that she expected someone else to be here, most likely the prince.

He stood up and bowed low at her presence. "Good evening, your grace."

"Evening, Arthur." She greeted him, and closed the door behind her. "Did you manage to find my son?"

"Yes your majesty, he was in Phyem Forest."

She blinked. "What was he doing there?"

"Well…"Arthur looked uneasy as he glanced at the sleeping form on his bed. "His majesty...did not intend to go there for the Overlord wished for him to be at another location for his training…but…"

"Arthur," The man paused during his thoughts. The queen's eyes, unnoticed by him, have already landed on the woman sleeping on her son's bed. "Who is that?"

"Err…" Now how could he explain this?

"Do you have anything to share with me about this?"

"Your grace…" said Arthur, fumbling with his hands, "this…is the reason your son was at Phyem today. You see…"

The queen patiently absorbed what happened as Arthur explained everything.

"So," said the queen, after a moment's silence, "this lady dropped down from the sky? And my son saved her from death?"

"Yes your grace…at least that was what I saw."

"And you have no clue as to what she dropped from? You don't know if it's a hovercraft or anything?"

"No, your grace. Look," he walked over to the bed and lifted the covers gently, "look at her clothing. It is nothing like what we wear here on Janus."

The queen fell silent as she looked upon the garments. Arthur was astounded that his queen took everything he said without any stunned reaction.

"Oh, and I give my deepest apologies for not keeping my watch further on your son, your grace."

The queen smiled. "It is quite understandable, Arthur."

He gave another bow. "Thank you, your grace. Should I go back to my post?"

She put a hand up. "No need. He's under my husband's watch now. They should be back around bedtime."

"Then…where will she be?" Arthur asked, gesturing the still-unconscious stranger.

"That's up to my son…" she then shook her head, sighing, "or rather, my husband. Her fate and safety here at Ariya lies on either one of them."

"What do you mean by that, your grace?"

She gave him an inexplicable look. "You will see what I mean as soon as your eyes let you."

The queen began to walk out of the bedroom. Dozens of questions filled Arthur's mind as she walked.

"Don't worry, Arthur," she said, glancing back at him, "I won't tell anyone about her."

The man was flabbergasted. She had read his mind. Grinning, he bowed toward her retreating figure. "Thank you, your grace."

She smiled and exited the room.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

Whoa…I've finally updated. Again, I'm sorry to let you all wait so long.

To Karisan-Karisan: Thank you for your review. I'm glad you liked the pics! I might draw a Hwoa/Julia pic next. There's a sketch of them together somewhere in my junk stash. I'll have to look for it.

To thunderxtw: Sorry for the long wait. Hope this chapter is better than the previous ones. Thank you for reading this still.

To Skylight Angel: Yo! Hope you enjoyed this chap! Update your Steve/Miharu fics soon please…

To other readers: Thank you all for reading this. -bows-


	6. Chap 6

I apologize for the long wait. Here's chapter six.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

Miharu slowly awoke from her deep slumber. The first thing she felt was the throbbing pain of her head. She frowned as she touched her face and forehead, as if the ache would go away with this simple action.

After awhile of massaging, she finally let her eyes open to scrutinize her surroundings. She doesn't recognize anything. In the dim light, she then made out the dark form of an elderly person sitting in a chair on the other side of what it seemed, to her, like a bedroom. He didn't seem to know she's awake for she heard soft snoring coming from him.

She took a closer look at the sleeping form. His attire was unlike anything she's seen. It looked similar to a normal suit. There was a silver silk shirt inside of the outer ensemble. The ends of its sleeves hung loosely around his hands. The silk also wrapped around his neck and tucked neatly underneath the suit. Silver markings were embroiled on the outer coat and rings are worn on his slightly wrinkled fingers.

Miharu began to feel fear. Fear of being in an unknown place. The latest occurrence she could recall was the lights that surrounded her before her blackout. Hwoarang's shocked face etched in her mind. Oh Xiaoyu, she thought. Where are you?

Then there's another person that mattered. Her eyes began to glaze.

Preston…I need to be in your arms…I wish you are here with me…

"Are you alright, young lady?"

She shook upon hearing the voice. She couldn't hide her tears as she slowly lifted her head up to see the elderly man looking at her. His grey eyes emitted a strange glow in the dim light. Miharu couldn't find her voice to reply him. He began to advance on her. Her fears increased with every step he took.

"Don't worry. I will not hurt you." He said reassuringly.

Still, Miharu crawled backwards until her head bumped against the backside of the huge mattress.

She eventually found her voice. "S-stay away!" And failed to sound brave.

The man held up his hands as a small surrender. He obeyed and stopped on his tracks.

Time seemed to have impeded as the two stayed frozen at their spots like statues. Miharu wished silently that this was all a dream. That she'll wake moments later back at her house, in her own bed, with the morning sunlight piercing through her blinds. And when she opens her door the sweet and familiar aroma of Ling's strawberry pancakes mixed with brewing cappuccino would greet her from the kitchen.

Home…there's no place like home…my friends, mom, dad…and Preston…

"Ah, you're awake."

A new voice.

Miharu looked toward the doorway, and her eyes widened.

There stood one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Her straight blonde hair was tied up in a complicated but, nevertheless, fancy bun. On her forehead was a stunning crystal circlet. She wore a gown of some sort. It was so gorgeous that it would make any of the world's top fashion designers gawk in awe. Light lilac was gradated downward into deep violet, top to bottom. The fabric was unusual. It's better than satin and silk combined. They hug her curves perfectly. The length of the dress went all the way down to the floor, trailing a bit behind her. Miharu could see multiple straps of different thickness wrapped on her right shoulder. At the top right of her chest area was a half-cut diamond. It's as if it's glued onto her skin, with golden strings clinched with a sun-like pattern on her chest. She also bore tattoo-like flat crystals on her sleeveless right arm.

Even though this woman looked harmless, Miharu still could not let her uneasiness fade. And her ability of speech died away along with it.

"Poor child, you look frightened." The woman said.

Of course I'm scared. Afraid of what'll happen to me if I stayed any longer, thought Miharu. This exceptionally beautiful woman wouldn't fool her with the liberality of her voice. This place, luxurious as it looked, was not home. And nothing could change that. If Miharu could not find a way out of this strange place, well, she'll have to say goodbye to her normal life.

"Where are you from, child?" The woman asked again.

Miharu paused.

A reasonable reply would be Earth. Since this place possesses an aura different than that of her home environment. She gave Texas and Japan a try; however neither gave her a positive answer. So Miharu responded with her last choice.

"Did you say…Earth?"

The reason these people are surprised was quite unknown to Miharu.

"Is there some way…that you could take me back there?" Miharu asked slowly, and quietly.

The woman frowned. "I'm not sure I could help you, young one. I don't know where it is…"

Miharu's heart sank below its deepest level. She was afraid of what the woman might say after this.

"You see," the woman continued, "this…Earth that you spoke of…is rarely heard on our planet…"

Miharu's upper body shot up. Her biggest fear was answered. "Are you saying that…that I'm actually on a different planet?"

"Well, if you really are from Earth, then it seems that way, I'm afraid."

"Why? Why did this happen to me? What am I doing here? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?" Miharu broke down into tears again, crying into the thick, lush blankets. "I want out…I want to go home…"

Watching the scene, Ariya's queen felt great dread and pity for this woman. She came from a different world, got dragged away from her home to an unknown location elsewhere in the universe, only to find out that there might not be a way to return.

Arthur watched silently from the corner. He felt that it's better not to interfere and say something that would discourage this foreign woman. He looked at his queen and saw a thoughtful expression on her face. He did not possess the power to read minds, therefore he was left wondering about what she could think about.

Arthur then remembered what his prince said earlier today. He heard the man say he expected this. But did he know what that expected event will be? Did the prince expect a woman to be falling from the sky and into the safety of his arms?

Arthur shook his head. No, don't think so…

The prince didn't know the exact location of where this strange occurrence would take place. Some mysterious force led him to Phyem, Arthur heard him say. So naturally he concluded that the prince didn't expect himself to have to rescue a falling woman from the sky, who happened to be from a rarely-known planet called Earth.

Arthur personally never really knew about this place, and he hasn't had any great amount of interest to learn about it any further. All he wanted to do was to help this poor woman return to where she belongs. She needn't be here in the first place.

"Arthur, will my son return soon?"

That was a sudden question from the queen.

"Err…yes. I believe so, your majesty."

"Do you believe he knows something about this?"

"The prince is capable of doing countless things, your grace." Then a thought hit Arthur. "Wait a minute…maybe your son might be able to help this young lady here."

The queen smiled. "My thought exactly."

"What about the Overlord, your grace?"

Arthur saw his queen frown and was a bit confused from seeing that.

He did not get a reply.

Miharu shook at the thought of meeting another stranger of this, well, planet. She wanted nothing to do with them.

"Ah, he has arrived. He's currently conversing with my husband at the entrance hall." The queen turned towards Miharu. "He'll be coming to greet you shortly, my dear. He might find a way for you to return to your homeland."

There was a spark of hope upon hearing those words. But judging by the woman's age, her son would be quite young. Miharu wasn't a hundred percent sure if a little boy could help her. The Japanese woman turned and faced the window, still hunched against the wall with a saddened face.

Despair filled her mind once again. Her depression brought her to a level where she couldn't even hear the opening and closing of the door, the new footsteps and a third voice echoing softly in the candlelit bedroom.

Miharu felt the bed move. She shook by it and turned slowly to see a new person had sat at the edge of the mattress.

Her eyes widened.

This was no boy.

Here, on the opposite side of the mattress where she was balled up sat a strikingly handsome man. He has slight wavy locks of champagne blonde hair parted from the top of his right eye. He has the purest blue eyes she'd seen. Underneath the gold emblem-covered blazer-like coat and slacks he wore she could picture a powerfully-built body because of his broad shoulders and bulging chest.

Miharu felt as if her whole body would melt under his fierce but compassionate stare. Her mouth was agape from the shock of his presence. This strange world disappeared around her and she found herself unable to breathe normally.

"Hello there," his gentle voice rung out, "how're you feeling?"

Miharu was still frozen at her spot. "I…I'm…"

She couldn't continue. Her voice shuddered as she tried to speak. She was still at shock from seeing the man.

He smiled softly. "It's alright. Here, hold out your hands."

He reached his arms midway between him and the frightened woman, as a warm welcome for her to take them.

Strange feelings rushed all over Miharu. She didn't think she should trust him but something told her she should, even though this man was not Preston. She looked up from staring at his rough hands and saw his tender expression. He continued to wait patiently for her to comply.

However depressed she became, she'll have to take whatever action to help her get out of this wretched place. And this man might have the ability to do so.

His expression told her she could trust him; that he's only here to help. She believed she had no other choice and slowly placed both her hands on his.

The man smiled and clasped her smaller hands into a caring grip. His hands were warm compared to her cold ones. It felt comforting to her.

Miharu still found it hard to believe that this man is that woman's son.

Speaking of that woman, she had gone. So did the elderly man.

She shook at the thought of being alone with this male stranger. She couldn't keep her cheeks from turning pink.

Miharu realized she had yet to find out why he need to hold her hands, and carefully glanced at this handsome foreigner. He seemed to be focused on something, she wasn't sure.

Miharu jumped a bit when he began to caress her hands. Her cheeks turned red in an instant. What's he going to do to her?

She stole another glance, and only saw his still-concentrated face. "Wha…what are you doing?" She asked with a tone of fear.

"I'm trying to relieve all your negative energy so you will feel better."

Right after he said those words, Miharu began to sense a change in her. She felt as if all her sadness and stress are slowly vanishing from her body. Even her tears are evaporating.

He heard her gasp and smiled. "I know. I use this power on myself all the time. It helps me feel as if I have no worries…temporarily."

After a short while the dizziness and heartaches have gone, and the man let go.

"There we go. How do you feel now?" he asked.

Miharu stared at her hands, and then turned towards him. "How did you do it?" she whispered.

"Well, the people of this world are born with certain unique abilities. Some can heal, some can withstand the coldest of weather, teleport, exert incredible amounts of strength…" he paused, "I believe the people on Earth would call us 'mutants'."

She looked at him with a look of astonishment. "But…that's impossible…"

The man nodded. "Of course it would be hard for you to believe me."

Silence followed.

Miharu still couldn't look directly at him. Partially was because of her shyness, the other was the effect he had on her when he looked at her. In addition to his attractive features, she thought he had a tough exterior. He also wore a frown the whole time he was in this room, even when he smiled his eyebrows kept a slight furrow. Why?

Her thought then transitioned into wondering about live supernatural beings. What he said was indeed mind-boggling. But what he did just a moment ago, by merely touching her hands, certainly make her feel more at ease. It was a sensation she experienced for the first time in her life. She still wanted to get out of this strange world and return home, but she stopped being depressed about it. Her mind became calm and she could think straight.

So he actually has powers?

"Well," the man started, standing up, "you must be tired. I shall let you rest." He began to walk toward the double doors.

"Wait," Miharu called out. He turned back around.

"That's it? What about finding a way to take me back to Earth?"

"We'll have time to discuss this matter further tomorrow. It's very late now, and you should get some rest."

"So you can't help me, is that it?"

"I never said that. I merely advised you to sleep and regain your energy. After you've recovered your strength, then we can spend time to find a solution for you to return to Earth."

Miharu could not argue with him any further. He's right. This is not the most perfect time to think of a resolution to her problem. It was night time, and she felt sleep catching up with her.

He started again for the doors.

"Wait," Miharu called out again, but this time she reached out a hand as if she does not want him to leave.

The man looked back at her once more. "Yes?"

Being in a strange world was intimidating enough. She does not want be alone.

Miharu looked down from embarrassment. "I…"

He came back and knelt down beside the bed. "What is it?"

She shut her eyes tight. "Can you…please stay until I fall asleep?"

Miharu didn't know why she said those words. She's grown enough to face her fears, but for some strange reason this man's presence made her feel safe and sheltered. With him here…she wouldn't feel alone.

He smiled. "Of course…"

He stood and lifted the bed sheet. She crawled underneath it and laid down. He covered her and tucked her in. "I'll protect you overnight."

"Don't you need to sleep as well?"

"I'll leave after you fall asleep. By protection I meant the shield I placed around this chamber so the others living here will never sense your presence, and they will not see you if they walk into this room."

Miharu was again amazed of what he could do, however she was too tired to show any reaction.

She then realized something. "Um…I don't know your name…"

"I'm Steve, Steve Fox. I am the prince of this land Ariya. What about yours?"

"…Miharu Hirano…"

He smiled. "What a beautiful name. I'll be right here to look after you, Miharu. There's no need to worry."

"Thank you…Steve…" she whispered. The thoughts about finding ways off the planet slipped from her mind momentarily as she closed her eyes.

With a wave of his hand an armchair floated from across the room and landed behind him. He sat down on it and scooted close to the mattress.

Miharu's left hand was laid on the pillow close to her face. He took hold of it and held it closer to him.

Minutes have passed and he could sense she was asleep. He was entranced by her loveliness and reached out a hand to touch her cheek. Before he knew what he was doing he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"Sleep well, m'lady…" he whispered.

The prince tucked her hand underneath the bed sheet, stood up, and floated the armchair back to where it belongs.

He reached the door, opened it, took one last longing look at the sleeping beauty, and exited the room.

:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

Thanx for all your patience guys.


End file.
